Iraq: Killings of civilians in Basra and al-'Amara

10 May 2004, Index number: MDE 14/007/2004

This report documents cases where UK soldiers have opened fire and killed civilians in southern Iraq in circumstances where there was apparently no imminent threat of death or serious injury to themselves or others. Such conduct is in breach of international human rights standards on the use of force and firearms. The report also describes how armed groups and individuals have executed dozens, possibly hundreds, of civilians for political reasons.